There is a renewed push to have convicted spy Jonathan Pollard released from prison on humanitarian grounds due to failing health. I will endure the sure to come flogging by my fellow Jews by continuing to stand in the Jewish minority who believe that such discretionary release by President Obama should not be granted.

I am aware of all the arguments that have been made over the years pro and con. No point in renewing them. Nothing new is out there. The justice system in application unfortunately is rarely fair. The bottom line is that Pollard has had remedies to challenge the sentence and seek his release and has for the most part used them. He is also free to ask for parole. Our legal system is not perfect but he had the opportunity to use it. The courts were and are unobstructed to him. Everything else is just noise.

In the end, spying against your country and mine is terrible regardless of whether it is done for an ally. It is deserving of the harshest possible sentence. Pollard certainly received a harsher sentence than any one else convicted of similar crimes. That sucks but it was within the range of sentencing. I am for even harsher sentencing of those who betray our trust and compromise our safety. To quote the ever wise Tony Baretta” If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime”, especially when you betray your country and mine.

2 Comments For This Post

Pollard was getting information of Iraq's chemical arsenal that was promised to the Israelis and was withheld. you obviously don't know the whole story and are playing obtuse here. He is a hero. No doubt the system sometimes fails. you don't have to let it do that. the state dept was disregarding then… as it is now the safety of Israelis. I don't how good a friend is If information that keeps people from a giant gas chamber is out there… I'll break the rules and get the truth out. Pollard did exactly that. They threw the worst antisemitic crap at him… making him into an agent of the Soviets to get the most strict sentence. Then castigated him for selling the information… as if he were some kind of Shylock. If he had known he'd be in jail for life… he could of asked for two pounds of Christian flesh.